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"Not at all. You were misled, like the rest of us. When they said they didn't want vampires joining up, we didn't care. Why should we? Vampires certainly aren't going to punch time cards for spell-casters. We just didn't see where that would lead."
"Where that would lead..." Cassandra murmured. "Yes, of course. I'm assuming you're referring to the recent problems we've had with the Cabals."
"Sure. Right."
Cassandra glanced at me, my cue to play the clueless outsider.
"What problems?" I said.
Cassandra waved to John, as if to grant him the floor.
"Well, the, uh, general problems they have with vampires. They know we could rise against them at any time. Too long we've lain dormant, complacent with our place in the world--"
Cassandra strode to the door and disappeared into the hall. John hurried after her.
"Did you hear something?" he asked.
"No, I've heard enough. Paige? Come on."
I followed her from the house.
Understanding Cassandra
"I HOPE WE'RE LEAVING BECAUSE YOU HAVE AN IDEA," I said as we walked along the street.
"He doesn't know anything."
"How do you know? You barely prodded him."
"What was I supposed to do? Rip out his fingernails? I'm over three hundred years old, Paige. I have an excellent understanding of human and vampire behavior. John knows nothing."
I glanced back toward the row house.
"Don't you dare," Cassandra said. "Really, Paige, you can be such a child. An impetuous child with an overdeveloped sense of her own infallibility. You're lucky that binding spell held John or I would have had to rescue you yet again."
"When have you ever rescued me?" I shook my head, realizing I was being deftly led away from my goal. "Forget John, then. What about the other two? We should stop by the Rampart, see if you can pick up their trail--"
"If John doesn't know anything, they don't know anything."
"I'm still not convinced John doesn't know anything."
She muttered something and walked faster, leaving me lagging behind. I took out my cell phone. She glanced over her shoulder.
"I'm not standing here waiting for a cab, Paige. There's a restaurant a few blocks over. We'll phone from there."
"I'm not calling for a cab. I'm phoning Aaron."
"It's three A.M. He will not appreciate--"
"He said to call him when we finished talking to John, whatever the hour, and see whether he's found any other leads."
Cassandra snatched the cell phone from my hand. "He hasn't. Aaron spent the last seventy years in Australia, Paige. He's barely been back for two years. How could he possibly know anyt
hing about us? About the vampires here?"
"He knew about John and the Rampart." I peered at her through the darkness. "You really don't want me asking other vampires for information, do you?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I took you to Aaron. I brought you here. I chased down John--"
